Should I Run with a Running Group?

There are pros and cons to running with a running group.

I recently was invited to run with a group. I typically run alone, and I was not familiar with “splits.” I am trying to figure if I liked it or if it was a distraction. In some respects there are times when you are running hills where a split would be awesome! Then again, I felt like it interfered with my breathing and my pace. Is this something I can look forward to while running with groups?

Certainly not all running groups will use a "split," also known as a walk break, but lesson learned! When invited to run with a group, it's probably a good idea to ask about their run pace, the distance the group is running, and their run routine like if they use a walk break, or a "split.” Also, you may want to ask if they supply water or do you carry your own, etc. so you are prepared for whatever is in store. Armed with this knowledge, you can then decide if you want to join them for a run or not.

Running is generally a solo sport, and running habits and routines can be very individualistic. Because so many of our training miles are logged alone, it can be nice to run with a group from time to time, even when that group's run routine is different than our own. The trade off is having some company, and sometimes it's worth it! Social interaction, especially on a long run, can be invaluable! Conversation provides a great distraction and helps the miles fly by, and the safety aspects of group running are too many to list. While initially walk breaks may feel like a disruption to your normal rhythm, the body adapts fairly quickly and soon becomes your new rhythm. The idea behind walk breaks are that they stave off muscle fatigue, delay exhaustion of glycogen stores, and therefore, allow a runner to go longer and finish stronger. It can be a great technique to use when increasing the distance of a long run. Walk breaks, or splits, also break up the distance mentally too. For example, instead of thinking, "I'm running 20 miles today," which can be very intimidating, you can think in terms of running for 5 or 10 minutes and then walking. By breaking a large goal down into smaller increments, it suddenly becomes very doable!

Using splits or walk breaks does not mean you must do it on every run. It's ok to mix up your training and do some runs with it and some runs without it. You can do your usual training during the week and then on the some weekends, perhaps for longer runs, you can opt to join the running group for some social interaction. I look at the walk breaks as simply another tool in my running tool box; it can come in quite handy on some runs and on other runs I won't need it at all. As runners, we love routine and we tend to become very set in our ways, so using different run routes, running at different times of the day, running continuously and also running with splits, is a great way to change things up. After all, variety is the spice of life!

All the best!

Susan S. Paul, MS

Susan Paul has coached more than 2,000 runners and is an exercise physiologist and program director for the Orlando Track Shack Foundation. For more information, visit www.trackshack.com.

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